Apple AirTags have a safety precaution as it beeps if they are separated from the owner for a certain period, like if they are slipped into someone's bag to stalk them.
However, a merchant on Etsy undermined the precautionary feature of AirTags by selling a modified version of the device with its internal speakers removed.
AirTags Without Speakers For Sale
The Silent AirTag product was on sale for $77.50 before the listing went offline. According to the Etsy merchant, JTEE3D, the devices look almost the same as the regular Apple AirTag that sells for $29.
However, there is a small hole underneath the device's battery to disconnect the speaker, according to MacRumors.
The sale of the Silent AirTag alarmed privacy advocate Eva Galperin, who is also the director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. She tweeted about the Silent AirTag's stalking risk.
Oh look. There is already a secondary market for modified AirTags with the speaker disabled for “stealth mode.” I hate everything so much right now. https://t.co/Y56CusJ4qP
— Eva (@evacide) February 2, 2022
AirTags was launched last year with the goal of helping users recover any misplaced item like their bag, car keys, and even their pet.
However, the AirTags have been also used by others to stalk people, as they can be placed in the victim's pocket or car to track them.
Also Read : Apple AirTag Stalkers Now Concerns Authorities! Sheriff Says Non-iPhone Users are Mostly Affected
Etsy merchant JTEE3D said he pulled the product listing himself and posted a statement afterward. He said that the modification of the device intended to cater to the several requests of buyers interested in fitting an AirTags to their pets, bikes, and power tools.
The merchant said that the requests led him to list it as a product on Etsy, but it did not get a great deal of traction, according to Gizmodo.
The majority of sales shown on his Etsy profile are from sales on his modified slim AirTag, designed to fit inside a wallet or purse unobtrusively.
There is also a listing for a Silent AirTag on eBay, which was said to have been modified, so it does not keep on beeping when it is away from you. For example, if you left it accidentally in your car or your bike.
The listing notes that the Silent AirTag reduces the chance of a thief being notified of its location. Online guides on how to silence the device echo the sentiment that silencing the speaker will make the AirTag harder to find if a thief steals a car or bike, not to assist people in stalking others.
Concern Over Silent AirTags
Galperin is concerned that modified AirTags could be abused for other nefarious purposes despite the sentiment.
Galperin wrote in a follow-up tweet that any item that works for the purpose of catching a thief in this way is also a tool for stalking.
That is why Apple advertises AirTags as tools for tracking lost items and not stolen ones.
Any item that works for the purpose of catching a thief in this manner is also a perfect tool for stalking. That is why Apple advertises them as tools for tracking lost items and not stolen ones.
— Eva (@evacide) February 2, 2022
Apple and Etsy did not post any comment about the incident. However, Apple did create a few safeguards to prevent stalking with AirTags.
Aside from the beep alert, an AirTag will automatically send a notification to any nearby iPhone owner. Apple also created a free app, so Android users can scan for any device that has been secretly slipped into their belongings.
However, Galperin told PCMag that removing the speakers from AirTags eliminates the only anti-stalking mitigation that works automatically and does not depend on the person being stalking having a phone.
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Written by Sophie Webster
